Indian River Community Foundation

Building A Better Community Through Donor-Driven Philanthropy

You are here: Home / Archives for COVID-19

COVID-19 Community Response Fund Continues to Disperse Funds County-Wide

Leave a Comment

26,337 households served, 1.4M donated funds, 35 local organizations, 1.8M pounds of food distributed

More than $1,199,000 has been distributed out to 35 local charitable nonprofits. Grants from the fund have focused on rent, utilities, food, baby needs, pets, and senior support assistance.  Weekly distributions of funds have already been made to the following organizations:

  • 211
  • The Buggy Bunch
  • Camp Haven
  • CareBag
  • CareNet Pregnancy Center
  • ChildCare Scholarships
  • Children’s Home Society
  • Economic Opportunities Council
  • Food Pantry of IRC
  • For the Love of Paws
  • Freedom Journey
  • Gifford Youth Orchestra
  • Gift Cards
  • Halo No-Kill Rescue
  • Heal the Healers
  • Health Mart and Whole Family Pharmacy
  • Healthy Start Coalition
  • Hibiscus Children’s Center
  • Hope for Families Center
  • Humane Society of IRC
  • Moonshot Moment
  • Prescriptions (TCCH, VNA, Whole Family, CCIRC)
  • RCMA
  • Salvation Army of IRC
  • Senior Resource Association
  • St. Helens/ UP
  • The Source
  • Treasure Coast Food Bank
  • Treasure Coast Homeless Services Council
  • Tykes and Teens
  • United Against Poverty
  • Veteran’s Council of IRC

If You Haven’t Done So Already, Here’s How You Can Help

  1. Make 2020 charitable distributions from donor advised funds to local charities now.
  2. Make a gift to the United Way’s COVID-19 Community Response Fund now.
  3. Make a significant gift to save or sustain a specific charitable organization, especially one serving vulnerable individuals and families. 

Housing Emergency Advocacy Response Team Program Application is Now Available

Leave a Comment

Housing Emergency Advocacy Response Team (H.E.A.R.T.) Logo.

The John’s Island Community Service League (JICSL), Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS), and the Indian River County Bar Association (IRCBA), are combining resources, strengths and expertise to support IRC residents facing COVID-related housing challenges through their NEW Indian River County Housing Emergency Advocacy Response Team Program.

Please click here for more information or to apply online.

Community Foundation Philanthropy Rises as COVID-19 Spreads

Leave a Comment

Give Together, Get Better. COVID-19 Relief.

A recent article in the New York Times details the increase of donors using their donor advised funds to help charities and individuals affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. The article quotes several studies that have found a monumental increase in donations from community foundations in response to the recent pandemic.

Indian River Community Foundation has also increased funds distributed to local nonprofit organizations in a similar fashion. While most of these funds are sent directly to local charitable organizations serving vulnerable families and individuals, other funds are being sent to the United Way of IRC’s COVID-19 Community Response Fund.

The COVID-19 Community Response Fund has raised almost $1.5 million dollars, reached 27,000 households, and provided almost 2 million pounds of food. As of June 26th, the fund has distributed $1,139,500 to the following local nonprofits:

  • 211
  • The Buggy Bunch
  • Camp Haven
  • CareBag
  • CareNet Pregnancy Center
  • ChildCare Scholarships
  • Children’s Home Society
  • Economic Opportunities Council
  • Food Pantry of IRC
  • For the Love of Paws
  • Freedom Journey
  • Gifford Youth Orchestra
  • Gift Cards
  • Halo No-Kill Rescue
  • Heal the Healers
  • Health Mart and Whole Family Pharmacy
  • Healthy Start Coalition
  • Hibiscus Children’s Center
  • Hope for Families Center
  • Humane Society of IRC
  • Moonshot Moment
  • Prescriptions (TCCH, VNA, Whole Family, CCIRC)
  • RCMA
  • Salvation Army of IRC
  • Senior Resource Association
  • St. Helens/ UP
  • The Source
  • TC Food Bank
  • TC Homeless Services Council
  • Treasure Coast Food Bank
  • Tykes and Teens
  • United Against Poverty
  • Veteran’s Council of IRC

If You Have Not Done So Already, Here’s How You Can Help

  1. Make 2020 charitable distributions from donor advised funds to local charities now.
  2. Make a gift to the United Way’s COVID-19 Community Response Fund now.
  3. Make a significant gift to save or sustain a specific charitable organization, especially one serving vulnerable individuals and families. 

Please click here to read the entire New York Times article (PDF version)

How You Can Help Local Healthcare Workers

Leave a Comment

Local healthcare workers and their families are in need of support as they continue to provide care during the COVID-19 health crisis. The following includes resources and ways you can help the healthcare community.

Cleveland Clinic Indian River Foundation is running a $1 million matching challenge to support the Indian River Hospital. The match will double gifts toward either of the following funds:

  • Caregiver Emergency Support Fund – supports caregivers facing hardships such as laid off spouses, overdue rent and utilities bills, groceries, and crisis counseling.
  • COVID-19 Response Fund – supports CCIRH in providing excellent patient care during this challenging time.

Please visit: https://www.irhf.org/give/how-to-give/make-a-gift-today to make a give today.

VNA of the Treasure Coast continues to support one of our community’s most vulnerable populations. They are in need of donations which will go towards purchasing resources necessary for their clinicians to provide proper care.

Please visit: https://vnatc.org/donate/ to donate today. 

Cleveland Clinic launched a COVID-19 website as a reference for employers who are safely resuming their operations.  A weekly webinar series will also be displayed on the site with topics such as infection prevention and worker resiliency in the era of COVID-19.

Please visit clevelandclinic.org/covid19atwork for more information.

Community Foundation Awards $50,000 to Help Kids, Working Families Get Back to Summer, Work

Leave a Comment

Boys & Girls Club of IRC Executive Director Elizabeth Thomason, Indian River Community Foundation Executive Director Jeff Pickering, and children of the Boys & Girls Club of IRC

(Vero Beach, Fla.  – May 28, 2020) Indian River Community Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $50,000 to nonprofit charitable organizations to support summer camp and childcare expenses being provided primarily to essential workers, first responders, and other low income families affected by the COVID-19 health crisis in Indian River County. The grants were awarded from the IRCF COVID-19 Fund.

One of the grants was awarded for $25,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Indian River County. It will support their summer program this year, which provides care for children of essential workers in our community.  

The other grant was awarded for $25,000 to the Gifford Youth Achievement Center. It will support GYAC’s Walter M. Jackson summer camp, which is available to local children on a first come, first serve basis.  

“Community Foundation clients have already awarded more than $500,000 in response to COVID-19 relief, which includes support for the United Way’s Community Response Fund,” said Foundation Coordinator Frida Flores.  “These two grants were awarded in recognition of the hard work that these two trusted charities are putting in to help kids and families get back to some type of ‘normal’ summer while their parents return to work.”

Indian River Community Foundation was established in 2008 with a mission of building a better community through donor-driven philanthropy.  With assets of $70 million in 175 charitable giving accounts, the Community Foundation and its clients have awarded more than $70 million in grants, mostly to nonprofit charitable organizations located in Indian River County, Florida.  Visit www.ircommunityfoundation.org to learn more.